Belonging

Hannah Shepherd

Year 10

School: Eastern Hills Senior High

Medium: Paper, card and found object

Artist statement: Belonging focuses on my inner thoughts about how I fit into society. As an introvert, I feel most comfortable and safe when alone with my nose buried in a book, lost in imagination. My artwork expresses these ideas by depicting a set of character silhouettes walking out of the open pages. These silhouettes were made from the same paper as the book, creating a suggestion of the story coming to life. I incorporated myself as a silhouette of plain black paper, echoed by a girl’s head and neck in the background. Although I sit outside the book in my own world, I still feel included in this book’s world of fiction and fantasy. I was influenced by my love of books and reading. The piece represents my ‘old-fashioned’ way of entertaining myself and the idea that I can be happy away from the pressures of society and friendship groups. The message is directed at teenagers. There are still many girls and boys interested in books and the escape from the pressures and struggles of our society they offer. Aside from the main message of ‘not belonging’, there is a subtle sense of an introvert’s creativity and imagination.